My Hero Academia: The Ties That Bind
by koreanbigboi
Summary: (An original story with original characters) Formerly in a hero duo with his best friend Akira, Kaito has become a top hero since his friend's retirement as a hero and sudden disappearance. However, when Akira comes back two years after his retirement as a deadly vigilante, Kaito and his old classmates form a task force to bring back their friend and to right hero society's wrongs
1. Chapter 1-Graduation

My Hero Academia: The Tie That Bind

By: koreanbigboi

Chapter One: Graduation

(This is my first story, and one that is made up of a cast of original characters)

"…and with that, our graduation ceremony has concluded. I'd like to once again like to congratulate all of our third years today. It was a long and hard road for you all, but now you can hold your heads up high, and move on past this phase of your lives. Protect our cities well, and pursue justice and peace as this world's protectors. Good luck with your pro careers. Congratulations! You're heroes now!"

With those words from Principal Nezu, the third years of UA High threw their caps in the air and celebrated. Embracing one another and giving their final goodbyes to classmates. Slipping away from the teary eyed and ambitious crowd was a snow haired, chocolate eyed student; Takahashi Kaito (Hero Name: White Lightning. Quirk: Conduction-By pumping energy through his bloodstream, he can release electricity in blasts or waves, with the ability to control the strength and amount of electricity he releases, as well as where he releases it from). The powerful new pro hero graduated the top of his class, and had no interest in sharing remorseful goodbyes with people who knew him that he didn't know. He went to find the group of friends who he had been with since day one. The people who had lifted him up in his darkest times, and the people he'd fight alongside as fellow pro heroes in a matter of weeks.

"Kaito!", a familiar voice called. A tall, handsome, and relaxed figure approached him in his ceremonial robe. Mikata Shizuka (Hero Name: Psycho Buster. Quirk: Psycho Control. He can control any inanimate object around him. It's for this reason he carries several specially designed metal balls into combat). Shizuka was unmistakable with his milk chocolate eyes and his dark chocolate hair, slick back to resemble his favorite movie star, James Dean. Kaito pulled his second best friend into a hug. Although he couldn't stand the strong scent of hair gel and leather coming off of the psychic hero, Kaito didn't mind this time. They had made it. They were pro heroes.

"I'm glad we made it to the same agency.", Shizuka said after releasing his friend. "We won't have to say goodbye until the day we die.".

"Yeah." Kaito replied. Shizuka had a bit of an edgy context in conversations, but that was what made him him. "Where is everybody? I thought you'd be with Hanabi."

"Right here!" A dark purple haired girl with ocean blue eyes said, slinging her arms over Shizuka's shoulders. Kaito smiled. Toriyama Hanabi (Quirk: Stinger-By vibrating her cells to create extremely high pitched sound waves, she can cover up the noise of her movements). Hanabi had a way of getting _very_ close to people, uncomfortably so when they first met, but Shizuka was the only one who didn't seem to mind along with most of the girls. The two had always been close, and there were always rumors the two were dating. Alas, it was graduation day and the two were as platonic as ever. Seeing how Hanabi was the most…physically matured girl in their class, it usually made Kaito a bit put off by her closeness, but today, he allowed himself to get caught in one of her signature bear hugs. "You look good in your robe!", she said. "Better that Shizuka at least.". Shizuka, the quiet type that he was, ignored her teasing. "Hey, Shizuka, let's go to that new restaurant after this…". Hanabi became completely engrossed in talking to Shizuka, who mostly nodded and replied with short grunts. Kaito never understood it, but the two had a way of communicating through banter that usually never had Shizuka saying more than a handful of sentences.

"Guys!", hollered a voice. Everyone's heads turned to see two more of their friends walking towards them. In front was the short, long haired figure of Hiyashi Tsugu (Hero Name: Razor Tooth. Quirk: Hedgehog-He can extend, sharpen, and harden his body hairs to become like iron needles), and the pretty and innocent face of Aishimaru Ina (Hero Name: Ms. Mugen. Quirk: Chameleon- She can turn her body or parts of her body into any inanimate object she touches). The trio turned to the duo and exchanged congratulations. As usual, Hanabi began the conversation insulting Tsugu's short stature, to which he angrily challenged her to a fight. Kaito began a conversation with Ina while Shizuka looked on as Hanabi burst into laughter while comically holding back a frustrated Tsugu with her palm to his forehead. Kaito looked at his friends and smiled. So many things had changed, yet everything was the same as when they all stepped into class for the first time. But they were missing somebody. Hanabi referred to him as "the glue" that held the group of best friends together. Where was he?

"Hey!", called a voice behind them. Five heads turned to meet the abnormally tall and muscular figure of the glue that held them together. Masayoshi Akira. (Hero Name: Black Thunder. Quirk: Insulation-By charging up his cells with black electricity within his body, he increases the strength and durability of his body and releases the energy in bursts, like throwing a punch or taking a massive leap). Five mouths formed into a smile looking at their stoic friend. He was the third highest ranking in their class (Behind Kaito and Shizuka), and the highest ranking in combat. He saved many lives with his provisional license, and now with a professional license under his belt, everyone anticipated his debut. He was the friend that was always there. The one who gave you their notes if you missed a day of class. The one who made chicken soup himself when you caught a cold. The one who picked you up after he knocked you down in combat training. But most importantly, the one who cared the most.

Kaito wrapped his best friend into a hug, congratulating him for the last three years. Akira then moved on to fist bump Shizuka, hug Hanabi, and shake Tsugu's hand. When he got to Ina, she blushed a bright shade of red and Akira did the same. Their four friends looked on in frustration and sadness. Everyone knew that they both had had massive crushes on each other since they were first years, but never got to the confession part. Kaito smiled as he recalled all the awkward, adorable, embarrassing, and heartwarming interactions between the two he and his classmates had the pleasure of witnessing. Akira cleared his throat. The four leaned in a little closer.

"Congratulations Ina.". He smiled. "We finally made it, huh?". Ina blushed and looked to the grass beneath their feet. "Yeah," She mumbled. "I…", she smiled and looked up, blushing a little less. "I guess we did.".

The four others sighed, collectively thinking "Just get together already". The six best friends now began conversation, and discussed what hero agencies they'd be working in, when they'd be able to see each other, and reminiscing about their short years at UA.

"We made a lot of memories," said Tsugu, looking back at the school. "I'm gonna miss this place.". The other five nodded. Kaito could feel himself getting a little emotional. He'd miss his school, his teachers, his classmates and friends.

"Excuse me!" a newcomer said, interrupting their thoughts. "I'd like to get a picture of the Big 3!". It was a photographer, going around to take graduation pictures. Out of habit, Kaito, Akira, and Shizuka looked at the other three, who, also out of habit, had stepped to the side. The Big 3 name referred to Kaito, Akira, and Shizuka, who were the top three in their class and known for their chemistry on the battlefield. The three stood with Kaito on the left, Akira in the middle, and Shizuka on the right. The photographer snapped a few photos and gifted each of them one. After that, they took a group photo. Each of them received one after from the photographer.

"Hey, that reminds me," Hanabi said, gathering the group's collective attention. "There was a rumor that the three of you were going to become a hero team!". Tsugu and Ina's eyes widened.

"Is that true you guys?", Ina half-yelled. "You guys would be unstoppable!", Tsugu added.

"Right?", Hanabi gushed. "That would be kick-ass! So is it happening?".

They turned to the Big 3. Shizuka was the first to respond. He pointed to Kaito and Akira.

"These two are forming a duo, I'm not in this.". The two turned to Shizuka in surprise.

"You weren't supposed to tell anyone!", Akira hissed. Kaito looked to the other three, who's eyes widened.

"Just Kaito and Akira?", asked Hanabi, who then turned to Shizuka. "What about you, pretty boy?".

Kaito swore he saw the faintest smile on the quiet boy's face at the nickname Hanabi had given him. "Being in a team isn't really my style.", he replied. "Besides, these two work better together than all three of us together. It's best for everyone.".

It short and sweet, just the way Shizuka always delivered everything. If he spoke, it was quick and straight to the point. If he did his homework, he finished fast and efficiently. If he was in a battle, he used his 200 plus IQ to strategize the quickest and easiest way to win the fight. Hanabi looked a bit confused, but Tsugu and Ina seemed to understand the logic behind it.

"That reminds me,", Shizuka turned to Kaito and Akira. "Have you guys chosen a name yet?".

The two hesitated. They hadn't. The duo had stayed up late one night trying to come up with something clever that reflected the common theme of electricity between them. However, nothing came to mind.

"No," Kaito said. "We haven't really come up with anything yet.". Shizuka nodded. The group was silent for a moment, processing the new information. Kaito and Akira were the strongest duo anybody could think of. Without a solid name to back them up, they'd be nobodies. Shizuka looked up from his pondering.

"Hey,", he said. I've got one.".

The group turned to him, Kaito and Akira hopeful for something impactful, and Hanabi, Ina, and Tsugu surprised their quiet friend had suggested something.

Shizuka gave one of his rare smiles. "How about…"

 _(One Week Later)_

"…this is Patrol Number 4, requesting immediate back-up! The villain calling himself Colossus has been rampaging through Ao City for over an hour now. We've only been able to call in low rank heroes who have failed to subdue the villain. Colossus is over six meters tall and has destroyed property as well as severely injured heroes Shao Lin, Astronaut, Huntress, Iron Fist, White Tiger, and Manta Ray within a span of 68 minutes… (BOOOOM)…What's that?…My God. Ao City Power Plant has just lost 3 major generators, and a massive explosion has occurred, casualties expected…CAN WE GET BACKUP OVER HERE, DAMMIT!"

BOOOOM

Surrounded by injured, paramedics, and a line of 30 officers behind a barricade forming their last defense, Lieutenant Takahashi started to lose hope. Heroes were spread thin across the city, rescuing people from the damage caused by the villain, and the ones who were left to fight were low ranking. Higher ranked heroes weren't expected to arrive any time soon, and Colossus was getting closer.

"Lieutenant!", an officer from the barricade yelled, his voice filled with shaky terror. Takahashi turned, and his eyes widened in horror. "Colossus inbound, estimated distance is 500 meters!". The monster turned a corner and began lumbering towards the defensive line. Takahashi cursed and grabbed his gun out of it's holster. He walked to the barricade and assumed his position. "Protect the injured!", Takahashi said.

BOOM

BOOM

BOOM

Colossus' fifteen ton footsteps shook the ground beneath them. Takahashi trembled. In all of his years on the force, he'd fought lots of villains alongside the heroes. But this was unimaginable. He could only pray the heroes arrived soon.

"400 meters!"

BOOM

BOOM

"350 meters, sir!"

BOOM

BOOM

"275 meters!"

Takahashi drew in a breath. "As soon as he's in range, fire at will!". He knew it would be a hopeless endeavor, but Takahashi was raised upon the ideals of honor. He wasn't running away. Ao City was his hometown. He wanted to protect it, with or without heroes.

BOOM

"250 meters!"

"Permission to fire, sir?"

Takahashi whipped around. He was greeted by a pair of heroes. One was dressed in cleated, black metal combat boots that went up to his calves with yellow lighting embroidering, with a pair of sleek, black armored trousers. A black top with pads, with a yellow thunder bolt going down to his waist that was sleeveless, with black iron gauntlets with yellow lightning embroidering. He had a mask that covered his neck, head, and his face, with a straight spike that covered his head and went a foot beyond his forehead. He was at least 190 centimeters tall, and from the looks of his shear size and muscles, he was at least a 130 kilograms.

The other hero was dressed in shiny metal combat boots, white armored pants with similar yellow lightning embroidering, a white and silver armored top that had sleeves that went to his forearms with gloves that met the sleeves, shaped like a lightning bolt at the end of the gloves. A yellow lightning bolt also went from the neck of his top to his waist, and he had on a yellow cape, and a white mask that went up to the top of his nose. His snow colored hair went up in the shape of lightning bolts and shone in the sunlight. His yellow eyes burned like the sun. He had his arms crossed and was about 175 centimeters, and while he was significantly less muscular than his partner, the was still lean.

Takahashi was stunned at the sudden sight. "Who the hell are you guys?", he asked, turning his attention away from the villain.

The shorter one responded. "Heroes Black Thunder and White Lightning, responding to your call for backup, sir.".

Takahashi was dumbfounded. _"That couldn't have been three minutes ago."_ , he thought to himself. He shook himself out of his surprise. "What are you ranks?".

"We're not ranked, sir.", said the tall one in black.

"Wha-.", the lieutenant stopped. "Are you telling me you guys are rookies?".

The pair nodded. Takahashi sighed, seeing his options were few. "Whatever, I need the two of you to get out there and stop that thing. We need time to get the injured first aid and the hell out of this mess.".

The pair nodded again. They were obedient, at least. Most rookies he'd worked with in the past were arrogant and full of themselves. These two were some of the good ones, he assumed.

"100 meters, sir!". Takahashi whipped around Colossus was dangerously close, his size fully apparent now. "Hey, you two-" When Lieutenant Takahashi turned around, the pair was gone. He turned back around just in time to see them leaping over the barricade. "These guys had better be strong.", he muttered to himself.

Black Thunder was suddenly surrounded by crackling, black electricity. He closed the distance between himself and Colossus quickly. To Takahashi's shock and amazement, the ground underneath him suddenly broke, and he leaped thirty feet into the air, ten feet above Colossus in the blink of an eye, a trail of the dark electricity following him. The veteran cop was stunned at the speed of it. Colossus swatted at him with one of his humungous hands, but (again), to Takahashi's surprise, Black Thunder was surrounded in black electricity once again, and kick the hand away, throwing Colossus off balance as his arm sailed to the ground with him.

"Take cover!" An officer yelled. Takahashi dove to the ground as rubble flew everywhere on Colossus' impact. Takahashi looked back up to the see the villain on the ground. "These guys aren't normal rookies.", he said out loud.

Colossus started to get back up, crushing a taxi cab to gain leverage. Black Thunder turned to his partner. "White Lightning, maneuver seven!" He yelled. He knelt to the ground, sticking his arms out, one hand over another with his palms up. White Lighting ran towards him. Black Thunder's arms starting crackling with black energy, and as White Lightning put his right foot down on his hands, he stood up and threw him upwards towards Colossus in one movement.

White Lightning soared high in the air towards the now standing villain. Colossus' attention was turned to Black Thunder. White Lightning landed on the top Colossus' back. Before the villain had a chance to react, he was twitching and shrieking in pain as his body was covered in a white electricity. The shock suddenly stopped, and White Lightning jumped off his back into a nearby shattered window. Black Thunder ran towards the villain and, once again surging with black energy, jumped and landed near the top of the building White Lightning was in. Black Thunder leapt off of the building as soon as he landed sent a kick directly into Colossus' steaming back. The monster fell with a loud BOOM onto the street, 50 meters from the defensive barricade. There was silence for a moment, then cheering from hiding citizens and from behind the barricade. Lieutenant Takahashi stared in utter disbelief. After a group of seasoned pros had tried and failed to bring down this monstrous villain for over an hour, two overpowered rookies had come in and finished the job in under five minutes. He smiled and shook his head. Young heroes were really something these days.

Later that day, new reporters swarmed the duo and shot rapid fire questions. Who were they? What school did they go to? What were their quirks? How did they bring down the villain? Meanwhile, military helicopters used cables to lift Colossus up and out of the city, headed to a special facility designed to hold villains of his size. Lieutenant Takahashi looked on from his patrol car, at the two new and powerful heroes. When the reporters shuffled away, he approached the two.

"Thanks for all of your help today.", he said. "You really saved us back there.".

Black Thunder nodded. "Happy to be of help.". White Lightning nodded in agreement. Lieutenant Takahashi smiled again. "I look forward to working with Black Thunder and White Lightning again in the future. You two are really going places.

The two looked at each other, and then back at Takahashi. "Actually sir," said White Lightning, "We already told the reporters back there, but we're not individual heroes. We're a duo.".

Takahashi raised his eyebrows. "Oh? And what's the name of this hot new rookie team?".

The straightened up, swelling with pride. Together, in one voice, they said,

"Mjolnir"


	2. Chapter 2-The Life Of A Pro

My Hero Academia: The Ties That Bind

Chapter Two: The Life Of A Pro

"…and I pulled another all-nighter the other day. If I had known being a pro meant having to take care of paperwork on EVERY job we pull, I might have never taken the entrance exam."

Akira chuckled as he took another sip of his sake. "Don't say that, where you're at now is good. Considering it's only been two years since graduation, making it into the top 50 heroes so soon is something to be proud of."

Shizuka sighed. "Maybe, but these days people seem to forget what being a hero is.". Akira nodded his head. "Yeah,", he responded. "I know what you mean. Heroes these days are all about the money. Rescue numbers are getting lower and villain arrest numbers are rising. People only care about the publicity, and villain take downs rake in more than rescues.". The harsh reality of modern hero society sickened Akira as he poured himself another shot of the strong liquor. He downed in it one go.

Shizuka looked at his friend in surprise. Akira had never been one to drown out his frustrations like this. He would always take out his frustrations on a punching bag. Several punching bags, actually. Shizuka remembered watching his friend dragging half a dozen broken sand bags into the garbage one night during their second year. He sighed again. The downsides of hero life had been hammered into them during their third year at UA, but all the advice their teachers had given them seemed to prove meaningless in such a harsh reality. Watching young heroes focus on taking down villains and setting aside things like property damage and civilian safety hurt his heart. He had always been told that out of their entire graduating class, there were only a handful of those with a strong sense of duty and justice. He only wished that wasn't painfully true, as it reflected heavily in recent hero activity.

Shizuka pulled out a zippo lighter and a pack of foreign cigarettes that Akira didn't recognize. The black energy hero watched his friend put one in his mouth and light it without covering the flame. Shizuka leaned his head slightly back and breathing in. A puff of grey smog escaped his closed lips and a stream of smoke coming of out the end. Akira looked around to make sure there were no No Smoking signs. He was surprised to see the owner of the outdoor Udon stand lighting one himself. Shizuka had been smoking since he debuted as a hero. He remembered hearing Shizuka telling him in their first year that his father was a smoker, because tobacco increased the capacity of his quirk, Psycho Control. Something about how cigarettes affect normal brains differently from one with Psycho Control. Shizuka hadn't tried it until his debut, and found the results to be quite beneficial. Akira knew Tsugu hated it, because his mother had died of lung cancer, but knew from accidental eavesdropping that Hanabi particularly thought cigarettes made Shizuka look more attractive. As of himself, Akira simply saw it as practical. Shizuka did it to enhance his quirk. Nothing more, nothing less.

Akira sat back in his chair, sharing a comfortable silence with his close friend. Ever since Mjolnir's debut two years ago, they'd quickly soared to the top tier of heroes, breathing a breath of fresh air into hero society, emphasizing justice and saving lives. Since their meteoric rise, rescue numbers higher than they had been in recent years, and Mjolnir was considered "the most influential hero duo of the modern generation", according to various news sources. It was hard to go somewhere without someone pointing him out. Despite the fact that he wore a mask, somebody somewhere managed to find his picture and leak it all over the internet. His performances at past UA Sports Festivals helped with that. And in Japan, being 6'3 didn't help him blend in either. He had sort of accepted it as a part of hero life, but he didn't like it. He wasn't in this for the fame and universal recognition, he wanted people to feel safe without anybody else messing up their lives. He wanted to put evil-doers in their place. Sadly, hero society was considered an "industry", something he refused to accept.

Shizuka took another drag of his cigarette and look at Akira. "By the way, isn't today the anniversary of your debut?". Akira nodded. "Yeah, it's been two years since Kaito and I took down Colossus in Ao City.". Shizuka let a cloud of smoke escape his lips. "Shouldn't you be celebrating with Kaito? We should've held a party at the agency.". Akira shook his head violently. 'No no! I wouldn't want you to feel obligated. Besides, your debut anniversary was yesterday and you didn't say anything about it.".

"Yeah,", Shizuka replied as he closed his eyes, taking in the feeling of the nicotine. A trail of smoke rose from the end. "You know I don't like to celebrate things.". That was true. While everybody in their class insisted, Shizuka never had a birthday party during their time in UA.

"So what did you do yesterday then?", Akira asked, curious of his mysterious friend's attitude toward celebration. "You must have done something special.".

"Look at you,", Shizuka shot back. "You're hanging out with me at an udon stand. That's nothing special.". Shizuka sighed, and Akira saw the faintest smile through his cigarette. "Hanabi and I had drinks at her place.".

"Oh.". It was no surprise to their friends, and now the rest of the world, that Psycho Buster and Scorpion were extremely close. They were constantly asked if they were dating, to which Shizuka usually responded with a flat 'no', and Hanabi would make some sort of lame excuse and ditch the interview all together. Many people shipped them online. Akira recalled reading a fan poll that ranked them both as the most attractive heroes currently active. Shizuka was something of a fashionista in the hero society. He appeared on several covers of magazines dressed like James Dean mixed with rock bands, and he was very popular with a lot of publicity, but Akira knew his heart was set on justice. Anyway, for a lot of people, the two fit. Their common attractiveness, their chemistry, and the amount of time they spent together was more than suspicious.

"What about you and Ina?", Shizuka asked in a slightly playful tone. "When are you two getting together?".

Shizuka watched a scene that never got old as Akira over explained himself and tripped over his words, saying he and Ina were "just friends", and obliviously pointing out that there was no way she liked him anyways. This was the exact same response Ina would give when asked about Akira, except with a lot more blushing on her part.

When Akira closed his case, Shizuka stood up. His cigarette fell from his lips to the ground, and he grinded his shoe against the now stubby stalk to put on any spark it had left. "I guess I'll get going first.". Akira got up to bid his friend farewell. Shizuka placed 3000 yen on the table. Akira started to reach for his own wallet and insisted they split the bill, but Shizuka refused. "It's my gift to you.", he said drily. "Happy Anniversary, Akira. I'll see you at the agency tomorrow.".

And with that, Shizuka walked away, lighting another cigarette on his way home. Akira watched his friend turn the corner, and walked in the opposite direction.

When he arrived at his apartment, he got texts from Kaito explaining his absence. He was needed in Osaka, and wouldn't be back for a few days.

"Happy anniversary, partner. I'm sorry I couldn't be there."

Akira sighed and collapsed on his bed. His head was a bit light from the sake. He fell asleep, but was awakened by the rumbling of his phone in his pocket. When he looked to see who was calling, he smiled and sat up. Answered the call, he put his phone to his ear.

"Captain Takahashi. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Shut up. You've always been too formal. You can drop the Captain and just call me Mr. Jin."

"Yeah..right. Sorry Jin."

"That's MR Jin to you, punk."

"Yeah, sorry Mr. Jin."

Ever since their debut, Mjonir had remained in contact with Lieutenant Takahashi, who had since been promoted to Captain. The Captain had been like a mentor to Black Thunder, and they worked together in the field often. With Captain Takahashi a few years away from retirement, Black Thunder became particularly fond of him. It was good to have a friend in the police.

"Happy Anniversary kiddo. Two years go by in a flash, don't they?"

Akira chuckled. "Yeah, I remember two years ago today you were ready to crap you're pants before we came along.".

"Shut up!", Takahashi growled. "I even went through all the trouble of getting you a gift, too!".

"Yeah, thanks.". Akira turned to see the goldfish swimming about in it's glass bowl that the Captain had sent him "Thanks for being there for me. Kaito and I wouldn't be where we are without you.".

Takahashi sighed over the phone. "Yeah, it's no trouble Masayoshi.". There was a brief silence between the two "Well I've got paperwork to do. Give my regards to Takahashi. Over and out.".

Akira's ears were greeted with a long, monotone beep. He slowly set the phone down on his bed. He assumed being a cop for so long eventually got him using phrases like 'over and out' out of habit. Also, he kind of found it odd that his partner and mentor shared a last name. Akira collapsed onto the bed again. Life was lonely. He really only talked to people he worked with. He hadn't had a lot of time to himself ever since his debut. He could only talk to his old friends when they worked together. He hadn't seen Ina in over a year. _"Maybe I should give her a call."_ , he thought to himself. _"No,"_. He turned over onto his side. _"That'll just resurface old feelings I don't want to deal with."_. Akira bolted upright and slouched over his legs, arms resting on his knees. He looked at his phone. "Screw it". He said out loud. He picked up his phone once again and went to his contacts. _Ina_. A picture of the two of them at graduation hung over her name. He pressed the call button, and placed his phone over his ear. It rang twelve times, and went to voicemail. _"Damn,"_ he thought to himself. _"How embarrassing."._ He collapsed onto his bed one final time. Lonely, tired, and filled with sadness after is conversation with Shizuka, he went to sleep that night, awaiting another tomorrow, sure to bring on the same challenges.

—

"Hello?", Black Thunder answered his office phone while sitting at his desk at his hero agency.

"Akira!". The electric super strength hero hesitated at the sound of Ina's sweet and boyish voice. "I'm sorry I couldn't return you're call! I was out on patrol.".

"O-Oh! Sorry! I didn't mean to bother you.".

"What were you calling about?".

"Oh, I…". Akira hesitated telling her how he felt last night. _"No way. It's Ina! I can tell her anything!"_. He suddenly felt a grip of guilt. _"Everything except for…that."_. Akira sighed. "It was nothing, Ina. I just…felt kind of lonely. You're good company, even an entire city away.".

There was silence for a moment, and Akira heard a small, brief squeal and a deep breath. "A-Ah. I see!", she responded after a few seconds. "I understand. Being a pro isn't everything I thought it'd be either.".

"I know. It's been hard without you guys behind me."

"But you still have Kaito! And Shizuka! The Big 3 is still together!"

"Yeah. But the Big 3 wouldn't be anything if we didn't have you guys."

Another brief pause.

"Ina…"

"Y-Yeah?"

"…I miss you."

 _Beep Beep Beep Beep_

Akira put the phone down slowly. He leaned back in his chair and smiled. _"I guess I still feel the same as I did then. It feels good."_

With a new positive attitude, Akira got up from his desk and slipped his mask on. He went over to the desk of a lower ranked hero, one of his juniors at UA who had debuted last year.

"Hey! Rock Solid!"

The earth powered hero stood up in the blink of an eye, his back straight and his hands at his sides. "Sir, Black Thunder, sir!"

Black Thunder laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, come on Kamina, I'm not your upperclassmen anymore, and I'm not your boss either. We're colleagues, and with Kaito gone until Tuesday, I'm getting bored. Let's go out on patrol."

Rock Solid nodded, and eased up. "Ok then. Let's go Masayoshi!".

"Yeah.". Walking out of his agency's building, Black Thunder was immediately met with a cry for help.

"My bag!" A young lady yelled. Black Thunder looked to his right to see the crook coming straight at him, paying no attention to what was in front of him, instead looking back to see if anyone was chasing him.

" _What an amateur,"_ He thought to himself. He merely stuck out his arm in clothesline position, and when the pickpocket finally turned his head forward, he was met with Akira's solid right arm. He hit the ground on his back, leaving Rock Solid to catch the bag, which had blown up in the air. The young lady came to retrieve it.

"Thank you so much!", she said, bowing formally. Bystander came forward. "Wow, it's Black Thunder and Rock Solid!" "As expected of a top hero and a rising star!". Rock Solid, still not used to the sudden attention, got flustered quickly. Black Thunder simply turned to the young lady, towering over in his signature stoic nature. "Ma'am, I recommend you call the police. He'll be out for a good thirty minutes like this. That should give you just enough time for the cops to arrive and for you to give a quick testimony about the theft.". The young lady blushed and turned away slightly. "Y-Yes, of course.". Black Thunder turned to Rock Solid. "Come on, Kamina. Let's get started on patrol."

"Yes sir!"

Akira sighed. _"Again with the honorifics…"_

— —

On the other side of the phone, Ina was still blushing heavily, over thinking the meaning of the simple _"I miss you"_


	3. Chapter 3-The Fall (Part 1)

My Hero Academia: The Ties That Bind

Chapter 3: The Fall (Part 1)

Kaito was near the ground, on his hands and knees, taking deep but shallow breaths. His mask was ripped, exposing the left side of his mouth, some of his hair was singed, and his costume was battered and torn in different places. His armored boots were dented, and his gloves was missing fingers. He could feel his left nostril bleeding.

When he looked up, he choked on his breath at the sight. The building was in tatters. Fire was everywhere, and bodies scattered the floor. Some were too gruesome for his stomach to handle. He leaned to one side, pulling down his mask, and threw up. He pull up his mask again, taking much faster breaths. He looked up just in time to see a piece of the ceiling fall directly above him. He rolled out of the way to see it smash into the ground. Slowly, he collected himself and stood. He stumbled, and his head was throbbing, and his ears ringing.

" _Damn it."_ He rested against a wall to catch his breath. The mission slowly came back to him, and he relayed it to himself as he took the fire escape down three floors.

" _We got an emergency SOS signal about a guy calling himself Mastermind controlling a small army of robots attacking Akanam City. Apparently, that was his first target. A major city to begin his conquest of the entire region. He was reported to have past cases of insanity and dementia from an early age. His quirk is still unknown, but he somehow managed to build and control a reported number of over 10,000 mechanical monsters. He's being considered a threat to the region, and high and intermediate rank heroes formed a squad of 50 to combat him on the east side of the city while citizen were evacuated to the west, Mjolnir among them. It was all they could scrape together for an immediate defense effort."_

Walking out onto the street, he saw the city was a mess. Buildings were ablaze or in pieces, cars were crushed or turned over, random items littered the streets, windows were broken, and damage was everywhere. _"I have to find the others,"_ he thought as he trudged forward.

"REEEEE!" Kaito turned just in time to see a six foot, humanoid metal machine lunging towards him. He sidestepped, grabbed it's arm, and sent a shock through it, overheating it and causing it to collapse in front of him. Kaito continued down the street, only to hear a cry for help.

"GAAAAAAH!". Kaito recognized the voice and ran to it. Turning the corner ahead of him was another hero who had been sent to Akanam. Dragon Man. He can breathe fire and form sharp scales on his limbs for protection or added damage to close combat attacks. He ran from a pack of five of the robots. One tackled him to the ground and started dragging him towards the others. He desperately tried to turn around to breathe fire at them, but to no avail. He tossed and turned and struggled but couldn't be released from their iron grip. One of the robot's open a hatch in their chest, revealing a chainsaw. It began to spin as the other four robots held Dragon Man in place.

" _Shit!"_ White Lightning charged energy into his right arm and took a quick second to line up his targets. He slid his right foot back, and cocked his right arm back. In one motion, he leaned in, lifted his back foot, and swung his arm forward like a slingshot, bringing the energy from his arm into the tip of his index finger as his arm traveled forward. _"Boomerang Circulation!"_. A thin, white bolt of lightning traveled quickly through each of the robots' heads in a linear pattern. A moment passed, then each of their heads exploded in the order the lightning had gone through them in. They collapsed around Dragon Man, who was left panting. Kaito ran to his side.

"Dragon Man, are you okay?". The fire breathing hero was panting heavily, and turned to face one half of Mjolnir.

"White Lightning!". He breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed. "You really saved me.".

"Yeah.". The two took a moment to look around. "How did this happen?"

Dragon Man shook his head defeatedly. "That Mastermind guy is insane. We still don't know what his quirk is. No one's even seen him yet, just these robots,". Dragon Man wiped sweat off of his forehead. "For all we know, that bastard may have already moved onto the next city by now.".

Kaito nodded grimly. "Have police and military arrived yet?".

Dragon Man nodded. "They've made a defensive line guarding the west side of the city, where the civilians are. However, after performing a massive headcount of the population, over 20,000 people didn't make it to the final checkpoint. So there could be people hiding around here.". He breathed a second sigh, this time in frustration, and stood up. "Our colleagues have already confirmed 5000 casualties.".

Kaito swallowed heavily, thinking back to the building he woke up in. He looked down in defeat. "I woke up in a building with about twenty civilians.". Dragon Man turned to him.

"Don't tell me-"

Kaito nodded, clenching his fist. "They're dead…".

The two stood in silence for a solid minute. 5000 innocent people had died. Who knew how many were injured. How many more would be homeless, jobless, and mourning the dead? How many people were to be left in defeat and miser? Surrounded by chaos and damage, they felt helpless. But suddenly, a new emotion surfaced in White Lightning.

Rage

Kaito began his path down the street again. Dragon Man looked up in surprise.

"Where are you going?"

Kaito stopped, not facing Dragon Man. "I need to find Mastermind.". His voice was shaky with anger.

Dragon Man shook his head. "No, we should fall back, you're blinded by anger. If we regroup with other heroes, we can go back in…hey! Didn't I tell you to st-"

BZZZZZZZZ

Dragon Man fell over, unconscious from Kaito's light shock. Kaito looked down at his comrade.

"Forgive me. But there's only one objective here right now."

Kaito began his path down the street again.

"I need to get that guy."

—

Akira was in the middle of hell. At least, that's what he thought it was.

He punched back another one of the robots, then kicked another out of the way, grabbing it and throwing it into another.

"Man, these guys are never ending!", shouted another hero to his right. Tortoise. He has a hard shell on his back that he can hide inside of. He hid inside his shell and started spinning, throwing robots off of him.

"Keep it up! We need to get to the evacuation checkpoint and regroup with the other!"

Razor Tooth hardened the hair on his head into sharp quill and whip his head around, taking down multiple robots.

"Tsugu! Manuever seven!". Akira got into position.

"Damn it, Black Thunder, use code names in the field!".

Using the leverage from Akira's arms, Tsugu leapt into the air, then landed hair-first into a pack of robots, scattering them. Akira ran towards them, surrounded by black energy, and leapt high into the air. _"Mjolnir Ground Pound!"_. Akira crashed into the earth, making a crater, and the impact sent the robots flying. Akira straightened up. His costume had scratches and burn marks, and one of the robots had caught him with a laser earlier, making a cut on his shoulder. "Is that all of them?", he panted.

Tortoise turned to him, stomping into one of the robots' heads. "Yeah, I think we got them all.".

Tsugu let out a sigh. "They're definitely more dangerous in packs. They're like predators.".

Akira nodded grimly, then put his finger to his ear, turning on his communicator. "Has anybody found Mastermind yet?"

A voice came from one of the ends. "No, but while we were rescuing some civilians from rumble, one of them said he said a man with crazy hair inside of a bigger robot. Keep an eye out for that. He can't be hard to miss. According to a different witness the robot he was inside of was over six meters tall.".

Akira flashed back to his debut, when Mjolnir fought Colossus. "It took all fifty of us, fighting for only a few hours, to eliminate half of his army. He must have known these guys couldn't hold up against us for long. That big robot must be his secret weapon. He's planning something here."

"That's a fair point,", Tsugu said into his own communicator to get to everyone. "If that thing's as powerful as we think it is, no wonder we haven't seen it yet. He's hiding until we defeat all of his underlings. By that time, we'll be really worn out, and he'll have the perfect opportunity to finish us. He's thinking of himself as a final boss."

"If that's true,", another voice said, joining the conversation. "Than how did he plan to take over the region with just that one robot? Why'd he go through the trouble of making all of these smaller ones just to wear down fifty of us? We're not the only heroes in Japan.".

"There's only one answer for that.". Akira paused, sickened by his grim theory. "I think he has more. A lot more than this.".

"This is a mess. He only sent ten thousand for one city. How many do you think he'll need for the region?".

"Doesn't matter. Call military personnel to start sweeping the city. Push civilians further out of the city and form a tighter line around the east side of the city. Prioritize civilian rescue. This isn't about Mastermind right now. We can worry about him later. What we need to be doing right now is to be saving lives. Request immediate back up. More heroes need to arrive on the scene."

"Roger that, boss.".

Akira swallowed. "S-Sorry. I didn't mean to take charge or anything.".

"No no, don't sweat it. The leader position suits you. Over and out.".

Akira let his hand fall from his ear. _"The leader, huh."_ He looked around him, witnessing the damage of the city. _"Is that the way I can enforce peace into other heroes?_.

"Black Thunder!", Tsugu called. Akira turned to his longtime friend. "Tortoise already took off towards the evacuation point. We should head there and give our report. More heroes are on their way. We should switch positions and hold down the defensive line.".

Akira nodded. "All right. Let's move. We've got a lot of ground to cover.". Akira began a run, followed closely by Tsugu.

"You know," Tsugu said. "You're not that same kid from middle school anymore.". Akira thought back to when the two met when they were just thirteen. Out of all their friends, Akira and Tsugu had known each other the longest.

"What changed?" He asked his friend.

"Well, for one,", Tsugu replied. "You used to be a runt in our class."

"Yeah, and you haven't grown an inch since then."

"Shut up!"

Akira laughed. Something he didn't expect to do in this situation. He was brought right back down to earth when he saw the chaos around him. "We need to hurry.", he said to no one in particular. He activated his quirk, putting energy into his legs to go faster.

Tsugu nodded in agreement. "Yeah, there's only one objective here."

Akira nodded, then finished Tsugu's point.

"We need to protect Akanam's people. At all costs."

—

At the edge of the city, Mastermind makes his move…

(To Be Continued)


End file.
